


Collector of Shiny Things

by daringwolf2000



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: A bunch of cringey oneshots, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Reader is not paired romantically with everybody, Reader-Insert, Shiny things can be more than courting beads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:49:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29855598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daringwolf2000/pseuds/daringwolf2000
Summary: You, a dwarrowdam, are a member of the company of Thorin Oakenshield on your way to reclaim Erebor. On the way, however, you have managed to steal the hearts of the Company, as well as many of their beads. Kind of.Or, that one reader insert au with different pairings each chapter, and somehow you end up with a lucky dwarf’s courting beads.Co-written with my roommate.Cross-posted on Fanficion.net, Wattpad, and DeviantArt.
Relationships: Balin (Tolkien)/Reader, Bifur (Tolkien)/Reader, Bilbo Baggins/Reader, Bofur (Tolkien)/Reader, Bombur (Tolkien)/Reader, Dori (Tolkien)/Reader, Dwalin (Tolkien)/Reader, Fíli (Tolkien)/Reader, Gloin (Tolkien) & Reader, Kíli (Tolkien)/Reader, Nori (Tolkien)/Reader, Oin (Tolkien)/Reader, Ori (Tolkien)/Reader, Thorin Oakenshield/Reader, Thorin's Company/Reader
Kudos: 15





	1. Thorin

**Author's Note:**

> It's a reader-insert au where you are paired with various members of the Company. It's supposed to be cringey. If you find it epic during some of the scenes, that's just bonus points for us. If it makes you cackle or face-palm, then we're doing our job right.  
> Happy reading!

When you first woke up, it was barely light. Dawn. Not the best time to wake up because it was cold. You never liked the cold. It always made you shiver so violently others around you were worried your limbs would fall off. As you tried to wake up, you noticed that you were in a considerable amount of pain.

Pain?

What?

 _Oh_. That’s right. You were in an orc attack the day before, you and the others.

 _The others? Who..?_ It came back to you suddenly, and you remembered. You are a member of the Company of Thorin Oakenshield, and you took the blow meant for Ori. The young scribe was using his slingshot and wasn’t watching out behind him. You were, though, and you jumped in the way of the orc blade right as he swung. Unfortunately, you weren’t able to get your own sword up in time to block it fully, so your body took most of the blow.

Your eyes widened and you sat up, ramrod straight, only to curl in on yourself with a groan a second later. _Well that was a mistake._ You heard shuffling noises, and then the sound of boots coming closer, and looked up into the eyes of Thorin.

Thorin Oakenshield himself, who at first detested the idea of you coming along, even if you saved his sorry hide a million and one times. Okay, maybe only like three times in the entire time you’ve known him, but still. The sentiment is the same.

You were a fine warrior in your own right, but you were also a dam, and that made you valuable, more precious than you cared for. Since dams were so few in number, they did not like the idea of you coming along on this dangerous quest. When they told you so, you just laughed in their faces, shouldered your pack, and followed them. Even if they weren’t allowing you to come, you would just go on your own trip, conveniently in the same direction they were heading. After it became obvious you were going to be just as foolhardy and run into danger right after them (i.e. the troll incident), they decided to include you in the group. That meant your own contract, and _that_ meant that now you were contractually obligated to take orders from Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King-in-exile under the mountain.

Who was still staring at you.

“Y/n?” Oh. He must’ve asked you a question.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I asked if you were alright. Oin suspected you wouldn’t wake for another hour.”

You grimaced slightly as you shifted, attempting to sit up straight again. His arms shot out to help you, but you waved him off.

“Oh, well, thank you, but I’m fine. I’m sure this is nothing a bit of rest won’t heal. I imagine I’ll be sore for next couple weeks, but what else is new?” Thorin still looked skeptical, so you added on, “I mean, it’s not like I’m _dying_. It’s just a little…” You trailed off as you noticed the concerned faces of the company behind Thorin. “...scratch.” You finished lamely.

Oin decided to make his presence known right then, coming up and nudging Thorin out of the way.

“Lass, I don’t know what rules you live by, or what trouble you normally get into, but that wound is no mere scratch. You,” and here he turned around to bellow at the rest of the company to give you space, lowering his voice as he turned back to you, “almost didn’t make it.”

You gasped, one hand flying up to your mouth and the other flew to your side, where the majority of the pain was.

It was at this moment, as you shifted, that you caught sight of something metal shining from the corner of your eye. Normally, you wouldn’t care, but this was a bead, and more importantly, it was a _courting_ bead. In your hair. Which you had no memory of it being put in there. You squinted at it, to confirm it was, in fact, a courting bead, before frowning and turning your head to study your companions.

_When I find out who did this, by the Valar…_

You glared at the Company, who were now trying (and failing) to discreetly watch you. You turned back to Thorin and Oin, the only ones near you now.

“Who did this?” You kept your voice low enough to not disturb anybody who may be resting, but you knew everybody could hear you. Thorin and Oin glanced to each other uncomfortably, and the rest of the company shuffled around nervously behind them. “If nobody is going to be a dwarf and come forward about this, then I will take it as simply a mix-up, a mistake of the light.”

You grabbed your new braid to take it out, but before you could take off the bead, twin cries of “ _Wait!_ ” rang through the air.

You paused, and looked to the source of the call. Fili and Kili pushed their way to the front of the group, on the other side of Oin. You raised your eyebrow at them skeptically.

“You two did this?”

They shuffled their feet nervously, glancing at each other and then to Thorin. He nodded slightly, ever so slightly, probably thinking that you couldn’t see it. You think. You weren’t entirely sure. Maybe he was giving his consent to them, to whatever they were planning. And now maybe the two of them were confessing to you? At the same time though? _Well this is awkward._ Or maybe he was nodding to them so they can let you down easily. They probably had it in their heads that you felt that way about them. It wasn’t true though. You were only trying to be their friend. No, you had your eyes on a certain dark-haired dwarven king. From the first time you saved him, to his curt nods, and his patented glare of disapproval, you had fallen for him, and fallen hard. And now you lost your train of thought. Again. You snapped back out of your musings as they called your name again.

“Y/n? Are you okay?” Thorin was talking now, and you realized you had been staring again. _Whoops…_ You turned your attention back to the group in front of you.

Again you ask the question of who did this. Fili and Kili both opened their mouths to respond when suddenly Thorin stated - well, more like shouted - "I need to speak with Y/N alone please." Silence ensued after this declaration. But dutifully everyone turned away to go back to the morning chores that had to be done around the camp.

You shifted so you could look at Thorin but it caused pain to shoot through your body. You cried out and Thorin came rushing over and knelt by your bedside. He looked lost as to what to do next. You stilled for a moment to regain control of yourself before attempting to move again. This time Thorin reached out to still you. The pain won out over your pride and you allowed him to help you sit up against an obliging boulder. After you were settled you asked Thorin, “What did you want to speak to me about?”

Thorin looked at you for a moment and then said, “Y/N I put the beads into your hair.” You were stunned into silence.

After a long pause you simply asked, “Why?”

“Because you were dying and I knew that if you died I would forever regret not letting you know how I feel about you.”

You looked into his deep blue eyes and said, “This is probably a stupid question considering how you already put beads in my hair, but I want to hear it: how do you feel about me?”

He said, “Well to put it simply: I love you. I fell in love with your determination, your beautiful smile and all of the other beautiful qualities that make you Y/N.” You were speechless. How could Thorin - _Thorin_ \- of all people love you? You were just a simple dam, nothing special but here was the king - no that was not it - here was Thorin, the man of your dreams telling you he loved you. You started to cry and Thorin drew back abruptly and said in a quiet voice, “Y/N if you do not feel the same I can take the bead back and my words, I am sorry.”

“No, no that is not why I am crying; this just feels like it is not real. I am afraid I will wake and none of this will have happened.” You placed your head in your hands, suddenly you felt warm strong hands pull yours down and you found yourself again looking into a pair of deep blue eyes.

“Y/N this is real. I really do love you and I always will.” He cupped your face with one of his hands and wiped your tears away with his thumb. Then he leaned even closer until your foreheads touched and gently pressed his lips to your lips. It was the most amazing and terrifying feeling you had ever felt in your entire life. You reached up and wrapped your arms around his neck ignoring the pain that shot through your side at the action. Thorin was real and he was kissing you.

You finally broke the kiss and he wrapped you in his arms. Both of you sat in silence enjoying the presence of each other's company. You realized at that moment you were no longer cold, physically or emotionally. He had brought warmth back into your life and he wanted to continue to warm you with his love from that day forward. Finally you broke the silence and said,

“I love you too.”


	2. Dwalin

When you first got hired to the company of Thorin Oakenshield, you didn’t know what to think. Really, a group of thirteen dwarrow and a wizard, on their way to steal a stone -  _ the king’s jewel, no less _ \- and then hopefully a mountain from a  _ dragon _ ? Sure, the pay was good, but that was banking off the assumption that they succeeded in their quest. Still, they needed the manpower ( _ dwarfpower _ , your brain uselessly added), and you joined up.

Now? Well, now you had a company of thirteen dwarrow, a dwarrowdam, a wizard, and a hobbit who could barely lift a sword. The odds weren’t really in your favor, but you all liked a challenge, and who knows? Maybe it could be fun.

(Not that they knew you were a dwarrowdam, you tried to keep that part on the hush-hush, for once they found out you were one of their precious dams, you would be sent back, or at least ordered to stay put until word could be sent of either their success, or their demise. And you didn’t really fancy waiting, so, here you are.)

The group you were traveling with was very odd. They all had their groups, and it seemed to you that if it weren’t for this quest, none of them would ever come together like so, except for the occasional scuffle that ended up with somebody in jail.  _ I’m looking at you, Nori _ .

First, there was their leader and king, Thorin Oakenshield himself. He, along with his two nephews Fili and Kili, had the most to lose in this quest as they were from the direct line of Durin himself. Of course then there was that dratted wizard, Gandalf, and the burglar he found, Bilbo. You weren’t sure what to think of the hobbit at first, but he was a member of the company nonetheless, and so you treated him with as much respect as you did the others. Then there were Oin and Gloin, brothers. Oin was the company healer, and Gloin was a mighty warrior in his own right. Dori, Nori, and Ori were brothers. Dori was a tea enthusiast and also a fine tailor. Nori, was a thief who did what he could to help his brothers (in his own way), and Ori was a scribe, young and sweet. Then there was Bofur, a miner, his brother Bombur, the company cook, and their cousin Bifur, a toymaker and fierce warrior. And of course you couldn’t forget Balin, Thorin’s advisor and diplomat, and then… Dwalin.

Dwalin was Thorin’s right hand; a member of the guard - and not only that but the  _ Captain _ of the guard - and was the fiercest of warriors to ever walk the face of Arda. He was the finest of dwarves, and honorable, and loyal to a fault.

And it was he who had stolen your heart.

Oh, but your heart  _ yearned _ for him every time he was near. Whatever skirmish you were in, whenever you saw Dwalin swing his axes around, his muscles rippling, oh how you wished he would wrap those arms around you and hold you tight, for you knew that if you were to hold him you would never let him go. Whenever he ruthlessly chopped off an orc’s head, whenever he was watching his King’s back, or even whenever he was watching out for the younger ones of the group, you knew, you  _ knew _ that he was the one for you. You hoped he was your One, but even if not, you were sure it could be worked through. The both of you,  _ together _ , working through it.

But that was only if you could ever muster up the courage to tell him how you felt, darn it all!

You weren’t sure what to do next in your steps towards courtship. At the beginning, you hoped to simply become acquaintances with the warrior, maybe even friends. But then King Broody decided to be exceptionally cold towards the company burglar and Dwalin backed him up (sorta. He just didn’t say anything otherwise), and so you had taken it upon yourself to become a bodyguard of sorts to the hobbit. You were both new to this group of dwarrow, after all. You defended the hobbit from the others, and Oakenclot and his band of merry dwarves lost some respect in your eyes.

The troll attack certainly didn’t help things. Poor Bilbo was only trying to help and if it weren’t for the two young Durins they wouldn’t have been in that mess in the first place. But no, of course Thorin went to blame it all on Bilbo.

_ “If it weren’t for you,  _ Halfling _ , we wouldn’t have ever been in this situation in the first place! You needlessly risked your life, and in doing so nearly got the entire company killed!” Thorin was angry, understandably so, but still, to only take it out on one of the guilty party, and not the others… it made your blood boil, and you marched up to stand between Bilbo and Thorin. _

_ “Thorin! I understand you are upset, I am too, but Bilbo is not the only one guilty here! He was just doing his job, and as I recall, if it weren’t for  _ your _ nephews,” Here you put a finger up to his chest for emphasis, “he wouldn’t have had to do so in the first place! So stop blaming him for every single thing that goes wrong!” You backed up, intending to put distance between Thorin and you and Bilbo. _

_ “If you had done a better job at keeping an eye on the halfling, then we would have had an even better chance at avoiding this catastrophe. So, I suppose you’re right and I should be giving you an equal punishment as well.” He stormed off and you sighed before turning towards Bilbo. A glimpse over his shoulder showed Dwalin coming up to talk to you. _

_ ‘Great, not only do I get the pleasure of being berated publicly by a  _ king _ , but I get his lackey as well.’ _

_ Dwalin stopped in front of you, completely ignoring Bilbo. You frowned. _

_ “And just what do you think you’re doing, talking down to a king like that?” He demanded. You frowned harder, and opened your mouth to retort, when suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes nearby, and a group of rabbits jumped out, a wizard coming up behind them on a sled… _

You sighed. The stay at Rivendell was tense, and you often found yourself in the company of Bilbo, and elves.

You didn’t like elves, per se, but you didn’t hate them as the rest of your group. Still, the air was awkward between you and the elves so you found yourself more often than not seeking the company of the burglar. Really, the only time you had truly socialized with the company during your stay was during training, and unfortunately you mostly trained with Dwalin, who glared at you the whole time.

You were a dwarrowdam, yes, but the settlement you came from had everyone well-trained and your skill level was one of the highest in your village. Apparently enough to warrant being pitted against Dwalin during training. When he first pinned you after a grueling match, you were shocked. The second time, you were angry. The third time… well, they say “the third time’s the charm”, and you found yourself interested.  _ Well drat. _

After Rivendell came the Misty Mountains, a three-in-one package deal with stone giants, goblins, and orcs (oh my!). When Thorin confronted Azog, you thought he was stupid. Brave, yes, but completely and utterly stupid. And then Bilbo charged after him and you knew that now you had to chase them both. You got off the tree a second behind Dwalin, just after Fili and Kili, and you both charged into the fray, watching each other’s backs as you made your way over to the king and the hobbit. Well that certainly helped boost your respect for the guard, and maybe stirred  _ something _ in you as you watched him fight fiercely for those he cared about.

Then after that was the rescue by the eagles - and weren’t they great! - and the confrontation on the Carrock, and while it didn’t fix everything completely, it certainly boosted your respect for the king-in-exile.

(After all, it’s not every day you have a king publicly admit to you that he was so very,  _ very _ wrong, and embrace you as if you were his own kin - although, after everything you’ve been through, you probably  _ were _ close enough to be kin by now.)

_ “Yes, I do believe the worst is behind us.” _ Oh, if only you could shove those words right back up Bilbo’s mouth, instead of letting him utter a challenge to the Valar themselves. At this point, you knew better than to say anything so naive as to challenge the Valar.

Which is why you weren’t even remotely surprised when the orcs popped up again.

* * *

Really, just what were they thinking, going on this quest? The group of fourteen you were traveling with had the  _ worst _ luck in all of Arda, and Mahal help them if they so much as had a sliver of good luck. For that matter, what were  _ you _ thinking, going along with them?

After the group made it down off the Carrock, you all rested for a bit before continuing traveling. Gandalf mentioned he knew of somebody nearby who would possibly help you. Or kill you, but really, that last statement wasn’t much of a surprise anymore. While traveling, you were ambushed by orcs,  _ whoopty-flip-flopping-doo _ , and while you were helping Bilbo, you weren’t paying attention to your back and were almost taken down by a surprise attack. Luckily for you, Dwalin was there to take care of them.

“Y/n! Pay more attention to your surroundings!” He yelled at you as he stalked off towards Thorin, who was disposing of the final orc in the group. As he left, you noticed something on his hand. It looked like…

_ Blood. Dwalin was injured. _

Dwalin was injured while protecting you.

Sure, he was injured while protecting Thorin and his nephews all the time, even sometimes the other members of the company, but never  _ you _ specifically. As you realized this, something else came and hit you like a gong, shaking you to your very core.

Dwalin was your One.

_ Dwalin _ was your  _ One _ .

He was the other half of your soul.

The dwarf you were coming to truly respect, and not just for his prowess in battle.

The dwarf who made you feel happier when you were near him, and also made you feel…  _ other _ … things.

And he was injured.

Because of  _ you _ .

You staggered back as the realization hit you, and had to grab the nearest tree for support. Your eyes widened and you felt terror seize your heart. How could you ever hope for something more now? He must think you weak, certainly, or at least incompetent on the field of battle! How.. why… oh Mahal, this was a disaster.

_ But, _ your mind whispered as you remembered how to breathe again,  _ he was injured for  _ you _. He willingly threw himself into harm’s way to protect you. Is there truly hope? _

_ Shut up. _ You thought back to yourself.  _ Besides, I won't get anywhere with regaining lost respect if I don’t get moving. _ With that in mind, you pushed yourself off the tree, wiped off your sword, and marched ahead, keeping line with Bilbo. You ignored the concerned gazes of your companions, and especially ignored the look from your newly discovered One, a look you couldn’t quite place, nodding at Thorin to continue walking.

You still had to make it to the home of Gandalf’s “friend”.

When you were there, then, and only then, would you focus on how hopelessly in love you were.

_ Well crap. _

* * *

When Gandalf said he had a friend who would either help you or kill you, you weren’t expecting much beyond an angry warrior. Now that you’ve met the giant bear of a man - literally - you couldn’t help but hope that he would help you.

You didn’t fancy becoming fodder for his - giant - animals.

It also never occurred to you that he might be able to tell that you were, in fact, a female.

In your defense, nobody else realized it, so you weren’t expecting much from another male your group came across on your journey. Needless to say, the backlash from that startling realization wasn’t very pleasant.

And now you were stuck inside a giant house with fourteen males (Gandalf and Beorn were out and about) who were very cross for you putting yourself in harm’s way. Even Bilbo was cross with you! You couldn’t even look at Dwalin.

Still, you were a dwarf, and the pride burned strongly in you, so you drew to your full height, squared your shoulders, set your jaw, and glared right back at Thorin.

“Whatever you think you can say that will get me to stay here or to go back while you lot keep going to Erebor, it won’t work. I came all this way with you, and I’m not about to abandon you all just because you realize who I really am. I’m still me, I’m still a warrior in my own right - I think I’ve proven myself enough for that - and I am still bound under contract to go with you all the way to the Lonely Mountain. Nothing you can say will change my mind.” You turned on your heel, intent to go find a quiet corner away from the rest of the group, when Dwalin spoke up behind you.

“Aye, you are a fine warrior, and have proven that several times over, but you are still a dam, and are too precious to let you go into danger the likes of which we’ve come across on this journey. You were almost killed earlier, for Mahal’s sake! Or if nothing else, nearly grievously injured!”

Balin spoke up next to him, his hands out in a placating manner. “You know how precious to us our dams are, that’s why you hid your true identity from us in the first place. We would never be able to forgive ourselves if anything happened to you on this journey. If you perished on this quest, never able to return home to your family, never able to find your One. We couldn’t hope to bear that guilt.”

You turned your gaze to Balin, and then Dwalin, your eyes cold. Your voice was as sharp as ice as you hissed out, “I’ve already found my One, and he doesn’t seem to care. I have nothing to lose if I die.” Spinning around, you marched out of the room, leaving the speechless dwarrow behind you.

* * *

Spiders. Ohhh, how you  _ hated _ spiders. With the very core of your being you hated them, and wished them all to burn. Almost as bad were the elves who captured your group. They weren’t nearly as friendly as the elves from Rivendell, and you made sure to loudly comment on that fact.

A few of the dwarves snickered at that, and then you were all thrown into the dungeons. You passed your time by alternating between being bored out of your skull, pacing your cell, ignoring the others, and all of the above. When Bilbo finally showed up, you were more than ready to get out of there. Until you realized his method of escaping.

You were more than a little nervous at his idea, seeing as how you would properly sink if a barrel tipped, but as he pointed out, nobody had any other better ideas, and so you got in the barrel. You certainly weren’t expecting that orc attack, though. It pained you to see poor Kili in pain, but there was nothing to be done until you could reach Lake-Town. You thanked your lucky stars that Bard showed up and was kind enough to smuggle you in.

Only to scowl as you were all captured by the Master’s guards.

It was very obvious that he only wanted your gold. But, he supplied your group with weapons, so beggars can’t be choosers, and all that. When you left in the morning and had to leave Kili behind, you were decidedly upset. He came all this way, heck, he was Thorin’s nephew! Surely, he had a right to go along. You knew Thorin was just concerned for his nephew, but it still stung. Then Fili and Oin stayed, and while you were relieved Kili wouldn’t be alone, you were still dismayed at the thought of leaving anyone behind, now doubly so.

You made the mental note to help them in any way you could when you joined up again, whether in this life or the next (for the dragon was still a very real possibility).

Then you reached the mountain -  _ finally _ \- and all were searching for the hidden door. Bilbo found the secret staircase in a gigantic  _ statue _ of all places - which you had to admit was very clever indeed - and then began the climb up said staircase. It took most of the day, and when you reached the top, you were ready to find the door and be done with it.

You couldn’t help the way your heart fell when the rest of the company walked towards the stairs in defeat. Couldn’t help it when  _ Dwalin _ walked away in defeat. Just as you were turning to join the rest, Bilbo called out to everybody and you looked back as hope soared again. After all, who wouldn’t?

In the light of the moon, there showed the doorway!

Then you were all walking inside and sending Bilbo off to complete his part of the contract, and you prayed to all the Valar that the dragon would be dead, or at the very least would stay asleep.

It really was too much to ask.

You split off into groups and pairs to play Middle Earth’s deadliest game of hide and seek, and somehow you ended up in Dwalin’s group. Not that you were complaining, of course. Your heart stuttered in your chest as he pushed you to safety behind a pillar, only to cover your body with his as the dragon fire surged from behind the gate. You were sure your face was beet red at his close proximity, but if anybody asked, you would deny it and blame it on the fire-drake behind you.

Nobody had to know. Especially not Dwalin.

You felt near close to tears when the dragon burst forth from the mountain, promising fire and death to Lake-Town, and could do nothing but hope and pray your companions were still alive. Not that praying did much for you on this journey in the past, but you still continued. It was only days later when the last four of your companions made it back that you wept silent tears of joy, the relief overwhelming you enough to nearly send you to your knees.

And to your knees you would have gone, if you weren’t suddenly caught by muscled, tattooed arms.

Your breath caught in your throat as you looked up over your shoulder and into the concerned eyes of Dwalin. If your cheeks weren’t red before, they certainly were now. This was the first time he looked at you that way, and your heart flip-flopped all over the place as the result. Trying to reign in your emotions, you cleared your throated, steadfastly ignoring your flaming cheeks.

“D-Dwalin.” You stuttered.  _ Crap, it’s still super awkward. _ Nothing had been the same since Beorn’s, and you weren’t sure how to proceed.

“Y/n.” He set you to your feet, only letting go when he was sure you wouldn’t collapse again. “Are you alright, lass?”

You stared, dumbfounded, before clearing your throat again and stammering out a confused, “W-what?”

“Are you alright? You’re crying. Are you injured anywhere? Do you need to see Oin now that he has returned?”

Ah, bless this dwarf! His concern for you made your heart swell even more as you tried to garner some semblance of thought.

“Ah! No, no, all is well! I am just happy to see the others unharmed and returned back to us! I guess the relief from seeing them alive and well after everything was overwhelming and my heart couldn’t hold it in anymore.” At this, Dwalin almost looked… disappointed?

What?

Well now you were confused.

“Dwalin, are you alright?”

He shifted away, getting ready to return back to Thorin. Probably to make sure the stubborn dwarf didn’t run himself into the ground. After the dragon - no, even before the dragon, you realized with a sigh - Thorin hadn’t quite been himself and was running himself ragged to find the Arkenstone. He was only still going because of his sheer stubbornness and the fact that Dwalin and the others were watching out for him.

“I suppose it’s one of them, then?” He asked suddenly.

“I’m sorry? One of them, what?” You cocked your head in confusion.

“It’s one of them, isn’t it? Probably one of the nephews, though they don’t deserve you.” He muttered that last part under his breath, which meant you probably weren’t supposed to hear it. You furrowed your eyebrows, trying to think of  _ why _ he was bringing them into the conversation, when it dawned on you.

“Ah. You’re meaning about who my One is, right?”

He nodded, once, his face set ever so carefully as if it were carved from stone.

“Well, no, actually. I really was just relieved they arrived back safely, although I am glad it was just them returning. If my One was left behind and didn’t return because he threw himself into danger to protect them, I don’t know what I would’ve done. So, I suppose, I have reason doubly to feel relieved.” You stared straight into his eyes, willing yourself to not get lost in them while trying to convey the meaning of your words.

“You mean to say…” He began. You nodded, confirming it for him. “So your One is in the original group who left from Lake-Town?” You internally groaned, dragging your hand down your face in frustration. You knew he wasn’t stupid, by any means; he was actually quite perceptive, as he would have to be in order to be the Captain of the Royal Guard, but Mahal bless them all when it came to matters of the heart involving themselves. Steeling yourself for what you knew you had to say next (and hoping your face wasn’t as red as you felt), you stared him in the eyes again.

“It’s you, Dwalin. You’re my One.”

He blinked once, twice, before the understanding dawned in his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, only to open it again. Inwardly, you snickered.

_ Who would’ve thought that to render him speechless all I had to do was admit to him being my One? _

You then noticed a few of the other dwarves were watching this all go down, with varying states of joy on their faces. Some were outright gleeful, grinning from ear to ear, some were smirking as gold was being passed around (Nori), and some had pleased expressions. Suddenly self-conscious, you cleared your throat a third time, and knew your face was as red as a tomato.

“Well. Then, I will leave you to come to terms with this.. ah… development, on your own time.” You started backing away. “Gentleman.” Nodding to the rest of the dwarves gathered around, you spun on your heel and made your getaway.

* * *

The next few days were a blur, as you all searched desperately for the Arkenstone. Something was definitely not right with Thorin, and as you looked at his eyes, you understood what was wrong.

He was gold-mad.

And it wasn’t just Thorin. Fili and Kili, as well, although they weren’t so cold to you as Thorin was. Those three had the worst of it, as direct descendants from the line of Durin, but you could tell the others were affected as well. Since they were only distantly related though, it wasn’t as bad, and they could shake themselves out of it when you made conversation with them. You weren’t affected by it, and neither was Bilbo, though for different reasons. Bilbo was a Hobbit, and didn’t care for gold as more than a shiny rock, completely useless for him in the Shire. You, however, weren’t related to any of them, and came from a distant settlement, so it seemed you were free from it’s curse.

_ Not that I don’t like gold, or anything, certainly not that. My share will go a long way with helping my kin, and it really is an obscene amount of gold. I won’t be wanting for more gold for a very, very long time. _

The people of Lake-Town and the elves arriving certainly didn’t help things, and Thorin was convinced they were there to steal from his gold. When Bilbo decided to sneak away during the night to do whatever he intended to do, you distracted Bofur for him. You gave him a knowing look, filled with pride at his bravery, in response to his grateful one he shot you.

You wouldn’t know the true extent of the damage done until the next morning, but you knew it was the only real way to help your dwarrow, your One.

When Thorin nearly threw Bilbo from the top of the battlements, and the others only half-tried to get him to stop, you knew you had to step in.

“Thorin, stop!” You put your hand on his forearm, the one holding Bilbo’s neck, successfully gaining the attention of the irate Dwarven King. “Bilbo only had your best interests in mind. He was only trying to keep you safe!”

“He was showing his true colors as a traitor. And so he will be treated as one!” And he let go, letting Bilbo plunge to the ground to his death.

You knew what you had to do, and even though it hurt you to do it, you could not stand it if you stood by while another soul, one as sweet and innocent as Bilbo, became seriously injured because of the actions of this fool of a King.

It had only been a second, a blink of an eye, but you whipped out a dagger from your person, grabbed your braid marking you as a friend of the line of Durin, and a member of the company, and cut it off. There were gasps as the other dwarves realized what you did, but you didn’t care. You couldn’t care, you didn’t have the time. You took the now cut braid, and threw it. Right at Thorin’s face. It hurt, but you couldn’t help the burst of triumph at the shock on his face as you ran to the edge and jumped off, plummeting straight down towards Bilbo.

Because you were a dwarf, your bones were heavier, and as such you reached him quickly, wrapping your arms around him and twisting your body so you would hit the ground first, taking the brunt of the impact. Before you could hit, though, there was a gust of wind, and then you were floating to the ground. Gandalf showed up right on time to slow your descent, and for all your misgivings of him, you had to admit that when it came down to it, he had saved the day multiple times and would not start to fail now.

When you touched the ground, you ushered Bilbo towards Gandalf, not letting him turn back to look up at the dwarrow. You did, though, and sent your harshest glare, meeting every single one of them in the eyes. You smirked internally as they all glanced away guiltily, but then stopped when you reached Dwalin.

His eyes held some emotion you couldn’t quite place, and it broke your heart to leave him like that, but you would not allow Thorin to get away with this. You would not leave Bilbo alone in the battle that you knew was coming, even if the other dwarrow didn’t see it or didn’t care. You shifted your gaze to look at Thorin, sending your most hate-filled glare at him, before turning away and following Gandalf to the other side of the field where the group of Iron-Hills dwarves were appearing.

You never looked back.

* * *

The battle was fierce, the orcs never ending, and you knew that if it weren't for the combined power of elves, men, and dwarves, everything would already be wiped out. You had a strange sort of respect for Dain of the Iron-Hills. He was loud, brash, and utterly rude towards the elves and men (not that the elves didn't deserve at least  _ some _ of it, but still). Even with knowing that, and knowing that Gandalf found  _ Thorin _ to be the more reasonable of the two, Dain was a good leader, and an even better fighter. You fought alongside him at one point, stopping an orc from scalping his head from behind. He, in turn, likewise saved you from another orc. It was odd, but you couldn't deny his loyalty nor his great skill in battle, and a grudging respect was formed for the cousin of Thorin Oakenshield.

After that encounter, and a couple more orcs heads, you made your way over to Gandalf, who was keeping watch of Bilbo as best as he could. As you finally made it all the way over to them, over the battlefield a horn was blown. You looked towards the source and saw Azog at the top of the hill, flags up behind him. Before you could do anything for it, though, a responding horn sounded, on the other side of the hill. This one was different, though, and you started as a bell crashed through the main gate.

Out rushed thirteen dwarrow, with Thorin Oakenshield at the lead, and you couldn't help but beam with pride.

"Bilbo, look!" You pointed towards them as he nodded.

"I see it, Y/n, I see it!" His face was much like yours, grinning from ear to ear, and you both fought with renewed vigor, as did everyone else on the field.

Hours passed, and you could feel the toll from the constant fighting. Your limbs shook, and you couldn't see your dwarrow anymore, beyond the occasional triumphant yell from across the bloody plain, and a familiar weapon cutting through the air. A while ago you saw Thorin and a group go up to Ravenhill, but you weren't able to follow them, being caught up by a group of orcs.

The pests.

Now, you had a clear shot so you darted up towards Ravenhill, hoping to find your four ( _ five, Bilbo went up there too _ ) companions and keep them alive. All of them were bullheaded enough to do something reckless to save the others, so it was imperative you got up there right away.

As you crested the hill, you saw Dwalin battling hordes of goblins, and farther away on the ice you saw Thorin facing off against Azog, his nephews nowhere in sight. You shook your limbs to prepare yourself, and jumped in the fray to help Dwalin.

“Y/n? What are you doing here? You need to get out of here, it’s not safe!”

“I’m here to help you, dummy! Let’s survive this and I’ll think about it.” You slashed and dodged, the goblin horde never-ending. As you fought, you noticed there were orcs in this group as well, not just goblins. You saw an orc coming up behind Dwalin, and you shouted a warning. He heard it, and turned around just in time to cut it down. You were so busy warning him of the danger sneaking up behind him, you didn’t see the danger behind yourself. Dwalin’s eyes widened and he threw his battle axe, nailing the goblin behind you. You whirled around as you heard the thunk of the axe meeting its intended victim, dropping the goblin to the ground.

At one point, you were able to glimpse a view of the others fighting. Thorin was still battling Azog, and Fili, Kili, and Bilbo showed up, helping you and Dwalin wade through the goblins on the hill. It seemed Bolg was already dead.

You saw Dwalin surrounded by goblins and orcs combined, and while he was a mighty warrior, he was slowly becoming overwhelmed. Taking no concern for your own safety, you engaged the group. You were a capable warrior - as you made sure to point out to the other dwarrow several times - but even still, three-to-one odds were difficult to handle.

You successfully took one orc down with a deep cut to the creature's thigh. It let out a growl of pain as it fell to its knees. The next two orcs were proving to be more of a challenge. They pushed you back into a fallen pillar, but still you fought on, gripping your sword. One of the orcs was finally able to sweep your feet out from under you. You fell hard hitting your head on the pillar, dazed. Faintly you hear someone calling your name. It sounded like Dwalin.

_ I must be in the Halls. But if I'm here, does this mean Dwalin was slain as well? _

Then, before the orcs could complete the kill strike, two twin axes smashed into their heads, killing them where they stood. The next instant you were grabbed by a pair of strong arms and pulled into a desperate hug.

“Y/n? Y/n! Are you okay?” Dwalin’s voice sounded frantic, and far away. Before you could respond, the darkness took over.

* * *

When you woke, you had a pounding headache.

You opened your eyes, and saw tarp above you, indicating you were inside a tent. But how did you get there? You groaned, and lifted one hand to your head, attempting to sit up with the other. A shuffling noise to your right, and suddenly there was something pressing down on your shoulders, urging you to lay back down. You lazily shifted your eyes to the side, growling your discontent at whatever was binding you to the cot.

It took you longer than normal to notice the concerned blue eyes looking back at you, and even longer still to connect them with the face of your One.

“D-Dwalin?” Your voice was scratchy, and your mind was still muddled from the battle.

The battle.

_ Oh, Mahal, the battle. What happened out there? Why am I inside a tent? Is it over? Am I dead? _

“Aye, lass, it’s me.” His voice was rough, almost thick, even. “Are you alright?”

“I… think so?” You furrowed your eyebrows. “What happened? How did I end up here?” You tried sitting up again, but he gently pushed your shoulders back down again.

“You don’t remember what happened?”

“I remember rushing in to help you, and then I was pushed back into something. I almost died.” You looked back up at Dwalin. “You saved me.” You breathed out. He nodded gravely.

“Aye, lass. And not long afterwards, the battle ended. I carried you back here myself.”

“And the others? What happened to the rest of the company?”

“Everyone else lives. Most with only minor injuries as well, I might add. Thorin and his nephews nearly died from their wounds, but they are recovering as we speak. The only one we were waiting to hear from was you. Just what were you thinking, throwing yourself in there like that?”

You narrowed your eyes at him, trying to figure out just what he was getting at. Was he not able to go help anybody else after you passed out, because he had to watch over you? Or was it because he thought only he could throw himself into the fray to help the others? Or maybe it went back farther than that. Was this for throwing yourself off the edge of the gate to go after Bilbo? You didn’t know anymore, and your head hurt thinking about it.

“I’m not sure I quite know what you are talking about, Dwalin.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know what I’m talking about?” He growled out. “You nearly died up there, that’s what I mean!”

“I was trying to help you!” You shot back.

“So you think getting yourself killed is helping me?” He was yelling now, and you couldn’t help the tears that sprang to your eyes. You were tired, in pain, and this was not how you were hoping a conversation with your One would go after a stressful battle like the one you just experienced.

“Why do you care?” You shouted back angrily.

“Because I love you!” You looked at him in shock, and then he pulled you into another frantic embrace like the one he gave you on the battlefield. “I love you, Y/n.” He said again, softer this time.

You couldn’t help it; your emotions were all over the place, and a few tears leaked out as you hugged him back.

“I don’t understand. What- how-” You stammered out. Before you could continue, his lips came crashing down on yours, and this time it only took you a second before your brain caught up with itself, and you returned the kiss. He pulled away, both of you breathing heavy. “I thought you all hated me for what I did. Keeping my identity a secret, jumping off the gates after Bilbo. Even following you into battle.”

Dwalin shook his head.

“We could never hate you for that.  _ I _ could never hate you for that. You are beautiful, lass, and more precious to me than any jewel in the mountain. It broke my heart to watch you cut off your braid, and jump over the edge because you felt you had no other choice.” He cast his eyes downward as he spoke again, softer than you ever thought he could get. “I nearly lost you on that battlefield, because you were protecting  _ me _ , and I would never have forgiven myself if I didn’t tell you how I felt. You are my One, amralime, and I am never letting you go again.”

You tilted his face towards you so he could see the smile you gave him. The one you decided was reserved for only him, and sweet and soft as you could make it.

“And I will never leave you.” You glanced away, thinking for a moment, before nodding once to yourself and looking back up at Dwalin. “And I want everyone to know it as well.”

Dwalin grinned, catching on to what you were meaning, before reaching into one of his pockets and pulling out two matching beads. His courting beads.

“May I?” You nodded, and turned your head to the side so he could put the courting braid in your hair. Once he was finished, you reached a hand up to feel the intricacy of the braid, memorizing the pattern, before facing him again and putting a matching braid and bead in his hair. You grinned at each other before he leaned forward, claiming your lips again.

After a searing kiss that left your cheeks flushed and you breathless, you reached out with one hand to grab his, and with the other, you traced the tattoos that covered its surface. Briefly you noticed a tiny scratch on the side of his hand, and you remembered how he received that from protecting you during an orc attack.

“Hmmm,” You said with a smile, “I have always been curious about your tattoos. Are there more on the rest of your body?”

Dwalin squeezed you, kissed your cheek, and said, “I’m sure you can find out soon enough, amralime.”

You smiled, and leaned into his embrace, resting your head on his shoulder, suddenly weary. The past weeks had been hard on everybody, and it was now catching up to you as you had no need to keep moving to stay alive. As you drifted off, you felt a rumble in his chest, and the brogue of his voice made your heart flutter.

“Sleep now, ghivashel, I will keep watch over you. No one will disturb you while I am here, I promise you that.”

So you did, for you knew that so long as you had your One by your side, you would be safe. He would protect you.

And protect you he did.


End file.
